Here
are three recipes I tried recently that would be amazing additions to your
holiday entertaining arsenal. Click on the links to get the recipes.
Molasses Spice Cookies: These were yummy, heartwarming and cozy. The whole family will
go crazy for this simple and soft cookie. The recipe I linked to is nearly identical to the one I used, with one small exception: The molasses in the linked-to recipe says "light or dark" - my recipe said "robust or mild." The recipe I used warned against using blackstrap molasses.
Cranberry Margaritas: These festive cocktails are unique and fun. By unique, I don’t mean
strange-tasting – these are delicious and most everyone will like them. Its
uniqueness comes from the rim on the glass, which includes Chinese five-spice
powder. It adds an extra hint of tingle to the drink.
Be careful when making the cranberry
jam. It boils down faster than the recipe indicates. I didn’t need the full 30
minutes, 25 was more like it, and for the last 15 minutes I was standing by the
pot the entire time, constantly stirring. The mixture will reduce down into a
small amount of a jam-like substance, so small, in fact, it barely made enough
for three cocktails, not four as the recipe states. I recommend doubling the jam
recipe if you make it.
Brennan’s Brandy Milk Punch: This recipe comes from May 2013 issue of Saveur magazine, but I
find this drink much more suitable for the Christmas season, not spring! Egg
nog fans will love this combo of brandy, half-and-half, a simple syrup and
vanilla extract. It froths up beautifully. But I wouldn’t serve it with brunch,
as this drink traditionally is in New Orleans.
This cocktail, to me, has evening-in-front-of-a-roaring-fire written all over
it.
Simple syrup, by the way, is very
easy to make. Sugar (or, I used Splenda) and an equivalent amount of water are
brought to a lively simmer in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then
left to cool. Simple syrup keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week.
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